The crying Tiger experience

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I had my first experience with budget airline Tiger Airlines this week and I have to say, it wasn’t a happy one. Tweeting my experience as I went, I found I was not alone in this experience!

I mean, I understand it’s a budget airline so I wasn’t expecting 5-star treatment, but nothing prepared me for the chaos of check-in at Sydney Airport which, on comparison, was really much worse than a recent midnight check-in at Denpasar. Which is famously chaotic.

I arrived (not to plan) ridiculously early for my flight to Melbourne, thinking I had a quick check-in followed by leisurely breakfast in the departure lounge. Not so. The queue went further even than the snaking ribboned-off area in front of check-in and almost out the door.

I looked around for an information desk fruitlessly before walking up to the front of the queue to ask if I could check in at the gate with no luggage.

“No. Get in the line like everyone else.”

So I stood in the line for 60 minutes, watching people miss their flights by standing in the queue too long. Thank god my airport shuttle was early. Then the plane was delayed 20 minutes.

On arrival in Melbourne for a moment I wasn’t sure I was actually in Melbourne Airport at all. I certainly wasn’t at the domestic terminal. Actually closer to the cargo terminal and after a trek across the tarmac I emerged into an outer square surrounded by a high fence topped with barbed wire.

I could see friends and relatives outside the fence waving to emerging passengers and the scene resembled a refugee camp more than an Australian domestic arrivals terminal.

After another trek to the actual terminal to find a cab, I jumped in and told the cabbie; “I’m never flying Tiger Airlines again.” And he said; “Everyone says that.”

And the feedback from Twitter?

“They also like to make you do tarmac triathalons. Evidence: my last drop off at Melbourne airport. Practically exited through an airport perimeter fence.”

“A refugee camp! Thats what we thought when we landed there as well… and it was 45 degrees!”

“Usually when you get to check in they cancel the flight.”

“I thought the air hostesses were a piece of work…they spent the whole flight gossiping and swishing passed with their tiger print scarves on their jeans…”

And after I tweeted my experience checking in on my return flight: “Just witnessed a serious passenger meltdown @ #tigerairways checkin. Screams, tears, stomping feet, flailing arms!”

“Tiger Airways can push someone to that…and that’s even before getting on the plane!

And then my flight was delayed an hour… And with no ground staff AT ALL except security, info on screen for ALL flights saying “Go to gate now”, there was, total confusion..

This article appeared in The Age almost a year ago:

Tiger Airlines starts taking complaints seriously

I don’t think it’s working..